Political Security Directorate
| إدارة الأمن السياسي Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi | |
.svg) | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1971 |
| Dissolved | 8 December 2024 (de facto) 29 January 2025 (de jure)[1] |
Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Syria |
| Headquarters | |
Agency executive |
|
Parent agency | Ministry of Interior |
|
|---|
The Political Security Directorate (PSD, Arabic: إدارة الأمن السياسي, romanized: Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi) was an intelligence service of Ba'athist Syria. It was divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Department.[2] Intelligence division was affiliated to the Ministry of Interior. Its activities involved the surveillance of the satellite parties of National Progressive Front and was active against the Syrian opposition.[3][4] It monitored literature, print publications, political dissent, and all media outlets.[2][5][6] This intelligence service was headed by Major General Ghaith Shafeeq Deeb from 5 February 2021 until December 2024.[7]
Organization
[edit]The Political Intelligence Directorate was supervised by the Ministry of Interior.[8] The PSD was also controlled by former President Bashar al-Assad through the National Security Bureau of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Central Command.[9] It was divided into two departments:[10]
- Internal Security Department (ISD)
- Investigative Branch
- Operations Branch
- External Security Department (ESD)
- Arab Affairs Branch
- Refugee Affairs Branch
- Zionist and Jewish Affairs Branch
Directors
[edit]- Ahmad Sa'id Salih (Early 80s —1987)[10]
- Adnan Badr Hassan (1987–2002)[11]
- Ghazi Kanaan (2002–2004)[12]
- Muhammad Mansoura (2004–2009)[13][14]
- Mohammed Dib Zaitoun (2009 – 25 July 2012)[15][16]
- Rustum Ghazali (25 July 2012 – 24 April 2015)
- Nasser Muhammad Al-Ali (24 April 2015–2017)
- Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun (2017–26 November 2018)[18]
- Hossam Louka (26 November 2018–July 2019)[18]
- Nasser Muhammad Al-Ali (July 2019–5 February 2021)[19]
- Ghaith Shafeeq Deeb (5 February 2021–December 2024)
Regional Directors
[edit]- Rif Dimashq branch: Brig. Gen. Sameer al-Sheikh (1993–2005)[20][better source needed]
- Aleppo branch: Brig. Gen. Akram Ali Muhammad (2009–2013)[21]
- Daraa branch: Brig. Gen. Atef Najib (2011), the European Union sanctioned him on 9 May 2011 for "being responsible for the violence against protesters in Daraa during the Syrian uprising".[22] He was replaced by Brig. Gen. Nasser al-Ali.[17]
- Damascus branch: Brig. Gen. Riad al-Shahada (2020–2024)[23]
Other Syrian intelligence agencies
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "تعيين الشرع رئيسا لسوريا في المرحلة الانتقالية" [Al-Sharaa appointed president of Syria in the transitional phase]. Al Jazeera Arabic (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- 1 2 "Herzliya Conference Bashar's Syria" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "Syria, Intelligence and Security". Espionageinfo. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022.
- ↑ Paul Todd; Jonathan Bloch (8 November 2003). Global Intelligence: The World's Secret Services Today. Zed Books. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-84277-113-6. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC News. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022.
- ↑ "Installing Major General Ghaith Shafiq Fayyad Deeb as Head of Political Security". Syria Today (in Arabic). 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021.
- ↑ John Pike. "Syria Intelligence and Security Agencies". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- ↑ Robert G. Rabil Syria, the United States, and the war on terror in the Middle East Archived 18 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-275-99015-X p.214
- 1 2 Rathmell, Andrew (1996). "Syria's Intelligence Services: Origins and Development". The Journal of Conflict Studies. 16 (2). Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ Worldwide, Keesings (2002). The Annual Register: A Record of World Events 2002 - Keesings Worldwide. Keesing's Worldwide. ISBN 9781886994461. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "A rather convenient suicide". The Economist. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "Bahjat Suleiman Moved along with Other Security Chiefs". Syria Comment. 19 June 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "Political security department". Cablegatesearch. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ Ahed Al Hendi (3 May 2011). "The Structure of Syria's Repression". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ "Bashar al-Assad's inner circle". BBC. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- 1 2 3 "By all means necessary" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- 1 2 Jihad Yazigi (24 September 2019). "Who's Who: Major General Husam Muhammad Louka". The Syrian Observer. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ↑ "Syria Regime Appoints Ghaith Shafiq Fayyad Head of Political Security". The Syrian Observer. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ↑ Brigadier Sameer al-Sheikh from Idlib was serving in political security branch in Damascus countryside governorate circa 1993-2005
- ↑ الأسد يصدر مرسومين بتعيين أربعة محافظين جدد
- ↑ "Council Regulation (EU) No 442/2011 of 9 May 2011 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria". EUR-Lex. Official Journal of the European Union. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ↑ "طالت 15 موقعاً ... النظام يجري تنقلات وتعيينات لقادة ميليشياته والأفرع الأمنية التابعة له". Shaam News Network (in Arabic). 26 December 2020. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
